It's Official: South Carolina Removes the Confederate Flag

Read the heated words that pushed politicians to vote the flag down.

Update (7/10): After Gov. Haley signed approved legislation to remove the Confederate Flag from the State Capitol late Thurday afternoon, South Carolina officials lowered the flag one last time on Friday morning.

Update (7/9): In a 94-to-20 vote, the South Carolina's State House of Representatives earned the two-thirds majority it needed to remove the Confederate Flag from the State Capitol. When Gov. Nikki R. Haley signs the bill into law on Thursday afternoon, the flag will come down within 24 hours and be relocated to the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.

Here's the original story:

Today, in a 37-to-3 vote, the South Carolina Senate voted to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the State House. The debate is the first of several aimed to remove the flag from its standing as a pillar of Southern identity, action provoked by Dylan Roof's terrorist attack on Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church last June. The decision follows a national movement to eliminate the symbol as a cultural institution. As Senators voted in the historic move, protestors waved the controversial banner on their doorstep.

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From this decision, the bill moves forward to one last Senate ratification vote, where it's expected to pass with ease. If the Senate moves to remove the flag, the decision will come down to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

There were a number of rousing speeches presented during the debate, including words from Sen. Vincent Sheheen, who reminded his fellow politicians that his fight to remove the flag began well before the tragic shooting in Charleston. Now was not the time to remove the Confederate flag. Yesterday was the time:

Almost one year ago, I stood out there in the hot weather, and said, during a heated political campaign, that we should remove the confederate flag from the statehouse grounds. Many of you in this chamber, on both sides of the aisle, were very kind to me, and treated me very nicely, and very gently. You shared with me or thoughts, but you did it in a way of genuineness and kindness. I want the debate today to be in that same spirit. There are others outside this chamber, including our current governor, who did not take that approach, but mocked me for raising this as an issue, for saying it was important. I want to share with you today the reasons that I felt compelled to do that. They are the same reasons that we should vote for this bill to remove the Confederate flag this week. They are personal reasons.

Republican Sen. Larry Martin admitted to only seeing Sheheen's side of the argument in light of recent events. Still, he was certain South Carolina would make the right decision:

To see that thing fluttering out there in a way that gives some official status to it on behalf of the people from South Carolina... that does not represent all the people of South Carolina. We need to remember that. In that regard, it is part of our history. It needs to be honored in whatever way, but as far as on these State House grounds, it is not part of our future. It is part of our past. I think we need to leave it at that.